Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Robaina raises $$$ for incumbents

He's baaaaaaaack.

Former Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina has been lying low since he lost the county mayoral race against Carlos Gimenez in June. Save for one radio interview -- where he declined to say who he was going to support (but, c'mon! We know it's el alcaldito!) -- he's been kind of MIA on the upcoming elections.

Well, missing no more. Robaina is host of a fundraiser tomorrow evening in Miami Lakes, at the Prestige Builders Capital office building, for the four council incumbents and former Hialeah Housing Authority board member Lourdes Lozano, the candidate planted by the incumbents against former councilman Alex "The Professor" Morales (once Frank Lago refused their begging to switch into that seat). How come el alcaldito Carlos Hernandez isn't on the bill? Is Robaina going to have a separate one for his main protege.

Maybe Hernandez is not part of this one because it includes Councilwoman Vivian Casals-Muñoz, who is not supporting el alcaldito and is not on el alcaldito's slate. Apparently, Robaina -- who is related to Casals-Muñoz through his first marriage -- is not happy about that. Ladra can't help but wonder if this means Robaina is making them kiss and make up.

The party at 16400 SW 59th Avenue is from 5 to 7:30 p.m. and the RSVP is to Andreina Figueroa, one of the consultants Robaina used on his failed campaign. It is at the office of Martin Caparros, his first business partner and a huge contributor to his failed mayoral campaign -- and the one who, dicen las malas lenguas, paid for the push poll that el alcaldito released weeks ago and said was done by an "anonymous group of business owners." Bet a bunch of them will be there.

Ladra wants to be there also. Let's see if she doesn't get thrown out (again).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the photo referred to in one of the comments. The firefighters like to make graphics with their frustrations. This is about el alcaldito's violation of people's rights and the way he feels he owns Hialeah and uses the police department to harass people, like bloggers. Context, people, is a beautiful thing, ain't it?

These events are partly the reasons us Cubans are living in a foreign country. If we had had the balls to speak up and face the rebels and the raffle, we wouldn't be here speaking and writing in English. Or would we?

Perhaps the Florida Elections Commission ought to take a look to determine whether Political Cortadito was merely a paid outlet disguised as a legitimate news entity. The difference is important since the paid outlet would be governed by campaign expenditure limits and disclosure rules.

There is a subtext, an underlying and distinct theme, that continues to surface amidst the tumult of the current Hialeah political jousting.That subtext is the role of the press in today's society. Though I would rather discuss the sordid and ribald goings on in City Hall, I would like to just briefly comment on the changing role of the press, and perhaps we could table this discussion for a later time or a more appropriate venue.

Who belongs to the Press? The word itself, Press, is antiquated. The printed media is going the way of the telegraph. Newspapers and magazines are finding it ever more difficult to squeeze out a living, with the same or more current information available online free. Pity the poor pornographer, who needs to buy skin magazines when there is more than anyone could desire, online, and for free. Vegetable, animal, mineral; whatever you desire. But I digress. As the printed media tries to survive and cut costs; it cuts employees, such as Ladra. There are ever more burgeoning journalists graduating, eager to make a mark on the written world, and no new jobs. The internets (thanx, George) is not only the future, but the very real present. Are these online journalists members of the Press? Who determines this? Is this a statement of their qualifications, that they have not been hired by a "sanctioned" medium; or is this just the state of journalism today? Ladra has made no secret that she would love to be a media mogul. She has established another entity , my305news.com, towards this end. If someone has evidence of Ladra receiving payment for her political commentary, bring it on. All we've been asking for is transparency.That anonymous above described this blog as "disguised as a legitimate news entity", I guess that is a backhanded compliment, that this blogs appears to be a legitimate news entity. And if it walks, quacks, and tastes like a legitimate news entity, well, I guess it is one.

The issue is not Elaine de Valle or her blog. That is what the alcaldito's team is doing to distract from the real issues. The blogger is not running for office. The issues are what Elaine is bringing out on her blog. Political corruption at its worse. A mayor that was NOT elected to that post by the residents of Hialeah, and will again NOT be elected in November, the manipulation of the city budget to fit their needs, (botellas) the firing of over 100 firefighters to "balance the budget" making Hialeah the city where less emergency personnel is available to the citizens in all South Florida, .... maybe the entire nation, the granting of city contracts to friends and contributors without an open bidding process, the attitude of public officials reflecting they believe they own the city and do not have to be accountable to anyone, The spending of tax dollars to accomplish pesonal political tasks like the use of the police force to investigate foes, use of public buses, breakfasts to promote themselves, etc. Thankfully NBC news, El nuevo Herald, The Miami Herald, MegaTV and many other news organizations have picked up the subject and are exposing the truth. Good job Ladra.

THE MYOPIA DECEASE. Are you concerned about the precedent set by Mayor Carlos Hernandez? You should be. Mayor Carlos Hernandez, the esteemed City Council and the City of Hialeah when they gave a Terrorist the key to the City of Hialeah and proclaimed a day after him. Apparently The Mayor thought to give a U.S. Soldier a proclamation on a Spanish language program A Tacon Quitao on Mega TV and not a key. The Mayor apparently missed Bushito's speech when he said "Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists" Giving the keys to a city the mayor is only a guest in is not only a slap in the face of the families of September 11 but its spitting in the victims graves. Furthermore, nothing could be more on topic.

Continued,You would think a U.S Soldier is a more deserving recipient of the key to the City of Hialeah than A Terrorist. Lets not forget, Posada has been convicted in absentia in Panama, of involvement in various terrorist attacks and plots in the Americas, including: involvement in the 1976 bombing of a Cuban airliner that killed seventy-three people; admitted involvement in a string of bombings in 1997 targeting fashionable Cuban hotels and nightspots in addition to being a CIA Agent. Only in Miami, where Posada currently resides, could anyone consider him "a heroic figure in the hardline anti-Castro exile community. Post upon information and belief.

One thing strikes me as odd about the fundraiser and it is the invitation itself. Big bold letters stating Mayor Julio Robaina, followed by a smaller font line stating "former mayor". My take is that after trying to diminish the effect of your coverage by saying "deValle no es una periodista porque no trabaja por salario en ningun periodico o agencia de noticias", (loose translation; she is not a journalist even though she worked as such in the Miami Herald for many, many years but is not in their payroll today), So how come Mr. Robaina stil calls himself the mayor. If I recall correctly last time he tried for the mayor job (Miami-Dade) he was defeated by Carlos Gimenez even though early in the campaign he was by far the frontrunner and the candidate with the most campaign funds. Heck,the last time he was major (Hialeah) he resigned to run elsewhere. Lar I think I understand because if the invitation had stated "DEFEATED MAYOR CANDIDATE JULIO ROBAINA" it would not have been very attractive/impacting. Double standards? Of course. What else is new. Let's get rid of these thugs in November. Keep it up Ladra, you rock!!!!! Woooof!

I have decided to moderate comments for a while as there are some that are simply off-subject and have become personal and offensive in nature, attacking not just me but others through this venue.

Comments that add substance and context to the news and issues in the blog will be posted. Comments that use profanity and abuse this open space to attack others will be saved and, when called for, sent to the appropriate authorities.

About Me

Ladra is the alter ego of Elaine de Valle, who worked for 18 years at the Miami Herald and was on two Pulitzer Prize-winning teams, including one that uncovered widespread election fraud and overturned a Miami election. She is still a Herald correspondent, though she works for herself. But because she sometimes still manages to get what's going on behind the scenes and has an inside track on some of the flow charts that we need to make sense out of political shenanigans, she will occasionally let Ladra out for a walk. If she barks, it's probably for a good reason.
_______________________________________
Ladra es el alter ego de Elaine de Valle, quien trabajo 18 años en el Miami Herald y pertenecio a dos equipos que ganaron dos premios Pulitzer, incluyendo uno que desencubrio el fraude electoral y "overturn" las elecciones. Aun trabaja como corresponsal del Herald pero tiene su negocio de medios y como todavia se entera de todo lo que sucede detras de la escena y tiene el "inside" en el espectaculo politico, de vez en cuando saca a Ladra a pasear...Y si Ladra ladra, es probable que sea por buen motivo.